


Reflection

by adenineTransfixion



Series: Old Hetalia Works [5]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Drabble, Fluff, M/M, Old Writing, Sweden is a shy stalker, awkward accents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-23
Packaged: 2018-02-22 08:54:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2501900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adenineTransfixion/pseuds/adenineTransfixion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Berwald has a crush.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reflection

Sweden was cold at this time of year, icy and a little grey, but nonetheless home. Berwald sighed, staring out the window of a tiny café he had taken to visiting lately. It was warm inside, the four or five booths and tables draped in tablecloths and the stove in one corner blazing away as the air was filled with the scent of strong coffee, buttered toast and frosting from the kitchen doors. It was a charming, comfortable place with an atmosphere filled to the breaking with warmth and friendliness that provided a pleasant shield from the coldness outside. But that wasn’t the reason that he came here so often.

He came here so that he could see him; the Finn who he had managed to find out was called Tino. He was thin and blond and smiley, and absolutely, undeniably, terrified of Berwald. 

It made the Swede feel a little guilty sometimes, to see the Finn blatantly avoid his table on his rounds only to send out the other worker who worked there—a brunette with an odd tilt to his scent that suggested Russian, or Baltic descent—out to wait on him. But despite that he couldn’t seem to stay away. 

He would come in, mourning another bad day at work and slump into a booth by the window, specifically so he could watch the Finn in the reflection as he went about cleaning and clearing tables or bringing out platters to the other dinners without being to obvious. It never failed to make him feel conflicted. On one hand it made him feel better to see the Finn smiling, but on the other… it hurt. That smile was never aimed at him, in fact, no expression except nervousness was ever show to him in that reflection, and that stung. 

Today had been a particularly bad day. The worst in fact. He had lost his job today—a boring desk job that he hated but that had provided him with a generous salary. 

Berwald had come back to this little café hoping that seeing the Finn would cheer him up, but he hadn’t showed yet, so he had ordered a bitter coffee instead and allowed himself to fall to a well-deserved bout of depression. There was a bit of a scuffle from the direction of the kitchen but he barely noted it, staring at the swirling darkness in the depths of his cup. 

“E-er… excuse me?” he jolted. He could never forget the sound of that voice; he had heard it so much in the last few weeks. Tino had arrived. He waited, listening for him to repeat someone’s order with that friendly tone of- “Sir?” a hand tentatively waved in front of his face and he flinched, looking up with surprised eyes. Tino. He was…here. Standing next to Berwald’s booth with a slight furrow of worry between his brows and an empty tray held against his chest like a shield. 

Berwald’s cheeks heated slightly as he realized that this was actually happening, and he attempted a small smile. It must not have been too much of a failure because the furrow smoothed out and him lips twitched tentatively. “Mm-hm?” he inquired in his usual taciturn way, inwardly grinning like a loon. 

“I-I was just wondering if you wanted anything else with your coffee?” Berwald measured the possible responses for a moment, staring at the Finn cautiously before nodding, deciding to take a chance. 

“’F s’ no’ too m’ch tr’ble… I’d... ‘njoy yer c’mpany? I mean, ‘f ya w’nt too?” The Finn stared back at him blankly for a moment before flaming bright red and skittering off. Berwald’s heart sunk. Damn. He’d gone too far hadn’t he? Stupid, stupid, stu-

The Finn was back. A steaming cup tapping on the tabletop as he slid into the seat across from Berwald, smiling lightly at the quiet Swede.  
Berwald ‘beamed’ in his own muffled way. And despite its subtly, the Finn seemed to get it, and his own smile brightened cheerily.  
A more pronounced reflection of Berwald’s own happiness.


End file.
